New Ulm weekly review., 1887-02-23
BAD BETTE BENNETT.

~
There is no moral ata:1 TO what I am
going to tell you about Bette Bennett.
Ataeast the real tact of the case is
that It is all very immoral. But
chats neither here nor there.
had been watching the play some
time. generally looked upon by the
fortunate others as an old maiden
LADY probably without experience,
aid certainly without hope. The
play went on at the seaside; serious
play. for the stakes were high. high as
when some Old Eastern potentate
riskshis lovely Gircassian girl, body
and soul, to his antagonist. The
players were not Eastern potentates,
bqt e aal the same, lovely girls. body
and soul, were the stakes. I
ssissd to think OF it when saw Laura
Sstockwood. that stately beauty, and
Jeanette Dean, the dashing one. and
Caro-, and Elsa, and Edith, and the
rest. And among the rest could one
forget Bette Bennett? She was not a
person TO allow hergelf to be forgot
ten.
And yet you did not understand
what 1t all meant, this furcr about
her. She was not a beauty; she had
no accomplishments to speak OF; she
was not an heiress. But she had every
thing her own way the summer
through. Ii you had to describe her
you would say she was q. dark and
slender little person. with arch ways
and the gayest laugh in the world:
and that would be all there was
about 1t. All there was about it?
@, not In the least! In the first place
there was the readiest wit, the great
sest good-nature, the most perfect
grace In the next place, there were
the most wonderful toilets.
e'Well," I said to her, after a week
~or SO, as she rested by me q moment,
sit must cost all of a fortune to dress
you i don't see where you get it."
$50 it does," she said. with encour-
aging frankness. t'Fake my toilets,
and gloves, and boots, aud folderols,
and all, and the interest of it would
! take care of>one poor person for life.
Ism t it Wcked?" and she looked at
vme with irresistible drollery.
eyes, I5thiEk it is - said I. For l
II X ~
knew that if she got through this SUM.
nler alive she wouldn't have one pen
ny left.
.tAnd the worst of it is," continued
she, tsthat when you think you have
enough for a queen you Ind you've
only made start, and have to keep
ordering more Pelisser and from Bob
binet and the others. It won't do to
ibe suspected Of any tarnish. You
must de fresh or nothing Why, Pm
lin debt up to my eyes!''
BETTE, / don't know what you
can think of yourself'' said, in con
sternation. "You have nothing to
pay with. It's dishonest-it's-it's
:swindling.''
:'sNo it isn't. It's business. If l
carry out my plans my pin. money
next year will pay my bad debts"
t'And if you don't"
tsWell, then they can have the things
back
"Bettie!'
a5 4e'To look out for that is more
ftrouble than can take, With all the
J: rest that have. Pm in for it. And
I've got to be g. success
<'Bettie, if people knew about you,
you'd be anything but q success"
81 don't intends hey shall. And it's
"a pity if can't trust YOU"
You can-you can. [ don't ap-
prove Of you. If you were content to
sit still, as do, in one or two gowns,
and see the show go by
And let somebody else marry Mr..
SDunrobin! No, thank you I'm not
I content. But shouldn't have gone
into this extravagance-it makes my
very soul ache to see those gowns-if
were not obliged to be all the time on
evidence.
81 don't really see the need of that
I do. If you're to be 8 success.
And didn't come here to go home
again. And / came here not only to
rule this summer, but to have my rule
baEeTneInDereQ IN AIl summers TO come,
Noble ambition!''
It isn't ambition, tell you; it's
business"
But. Bette. you're not beauty" !"
$50 much 5he more to my glory
You ridiculous midget
Shes little but she sshrewd." And
of she sped as young Pennycastle
came along for an hour at tennis; and
I saw her coming back in time sur
rounded by an awkward squad Of
young society men.
Yes. they are an awkward squad, !"
she said, in answer to me by and by.
And stupid stupid beyon nything!"
The idea Of taking SO much troub-
1e, Bette, to please them, tfaen!'
I'm not doing it to please them,
the iackanapes! Yes, they are jacka-
afapes. They don't know anything